Like We're Running Out of Time
by Forfun100
Summary: Cinder wakes up alone and tries to wrangle Kai into coming back to bed. Because for some reason even during times of peace he stays up late for work. This takes guilt trips, complaining, and of course a whole lot of love. Post Winter Fluff I am Kaider trash.


Cinder awoke gently, her eyes fluttering open as if she had been at peace, until she noticed that something was missing. Her husband. Even after courting for five years and being married for five more, she was still surprised when she woke up to find him missing. It was as if he would never sleep for a full night, which was going to either be terrible or wonderful with the arrival of their first baby.

Sighing heavily she tossed the covers off of her legs and stood up, her metal hand supporting her lower back as she did this. The moment she stood straight her other hand pressed firmly over her stomach. She was just barely beginning to show the little life inside of her, and now she felt that motherly instinct thing beginning.

Her mind had rattled through every medical journal and help guide to pregnancy in existence, since she and Kai first discovered that they were going to become parents. She knew now, it was only a waiting game until the baby started moving, and then delivery. She was hoping for a little boy with bright eyes and the heart of his father. Her thoughts were consumed with the baby, kind of like her life now.

She walked out of her bedroom and into the hallway, rubbing small circles over the little one as she walked purposefully to her husband's office. She didn't even knock, finding her husband hunched over a notepad, scribbling something down.

"Kaito." She used his full name just for the joy of startling him.

He scrambled wildly, looking up at her in shock as she folded her arms over she chest. "Cinder, stars, you scared me."

"Come back to sleep." She said not willing to put up with his charades.

"I have that early meeting with the Earthen Alliance, and I have to finish these notes for-"

"I don't want to hear it. One, I'm going to that meeting as well. Two, it is an early meeting, so you should be sleeping."

"I can't." He sat back in his chair, she walked around his desk giving him an unrelenting glare. "Besides it's not that late."

"It's still dark outside." She said.

"That's what happens at night, darling." He teased her, his hands finding their way to the baby.

"It's morning." She said as his hands traveled the rounded space of her abdomen. He looked at her with such wonder now, like he couldn't believe that she, that they were creating a new life.

"I just have to write something down, then I'll come back."

She took his hands, lacing her fingers with his. "Why do you always do this?"

"Do what?"

"Why do you write like you're running out of time?" He looked at her, pensively deciphering what to say next. "Come back to bed."

"I have to work, you know that."

"You don't have to work at one a.m., no one is asking that of you."

"But it's expected that I have my affairs in order and I'm just not sure I'm there yet."

"Of course you are." She chuckled as he turned back to his desk. Walking around back to the front of his desk she took a seat and brought it next to him.

"You go on you need your rest." He said writing something else down.

"No."

"Cinder, please-"

"I'll wait with you." She said watching him sigh.

"Don't start this."

"I'm not starting anything, I'm finishing it." He turned back to his documents, his left hand taking hold of hers as he wrote in his notes.

She watched as he wrote down every thought that popped up into his head. He continued to write, his words falling onto the paper effortlessly. She knew he didn't take his position lightly but he did work almost too hard. There wasn't a war, there wasn't anything close to a crisis except for maybe the economy in Africa, but it didn't exactly affect the Eastern Commonwealth. Cinder placed her head on his shoulder, stopping him abruptly. He turned his own head, kissing the part in her hair.

"You sho-"

"Not without you."

"The baby needs its rest." Kai said, wrapping one arm around her waist, placing his other hand on her stomach.

"He seems to be doing just fine."

"Cinder, please."

"No."

"Why are you so difficult?"

"That's my gig, not yours." She chuckled snaking her arms to wrap around him. "But you're the one who won't come back to bed."

"I have to finish this." He said again.

"Then I'm staying right here."

"No, go to bed." He nudged her slightly releasing her from his grasp.

She huffed looking at him with a glare, but he was also unrelenting. Standing up she began to walk out of the room. "I guess daddy's going to be difficult today." She was about to open the door when she felt it, the little fluttering in her stomach. She stood still as night, her hand placed firmly where she'd felt the movement. She had felt babies moving before, when Winter was pregnant, and Scarlet, then of course there was Cress-

She felt it again right at her fingertips. "Kai." She whispered softly.

"What is it?" He bolted up from his desk, "What's wrong? What hurts? Sit down and I'll comm a doctor!"

"He's moving." She said, breathless and filled with excitement.

"What?" He asked with his mouth falling open. "Are you sure?"

She tentatively took his hand, placing it over the baby, right where she'd felt him. The couple waited in silence for a heartbeat or two before the fluttering came back.

"Did you feel that?" She asked him, but when she looked up at his face she knew he had. He looked both frightened and overjoyed, like the world had opened up all of its secrets right before him.

"Stars above… He… It… The baby… The baby can move." Cinder nodded wordlessly as he hunched down to be level with her stomach. He left a soft kiss where his hands had been, whispering gentle words to her skin.

Cinder let one hand rest on the back of his neck and the other began combing through his hair. He took her in a tight embrace suddenly, kissing her cheeks as he said little I love yous. When he'd felt satisfied with the appreciation he'd shown her, he pulled away, cupping her face in his hands.

"You're amazing, Cinder. There isn't a single thing you can't do." He kissed her lips, his heart overflowing with his love for her.

"I love you." She said holding onto his shirt. She felt tiredness weighing on her, the sudden excitement having wiped her out. That was one of the many things about pregnancy she could do without. She was so tired all the time.

"Now go to bed." He chuckled kissing her forehead.

"Come with us." She said holding his hand in hers.

"Cinder…" He sighed.

"You always write like you're running out of time, Kai. Why don't you start living like you're running out of time? Why don't we love like we're running out of time?"

"We do that last one already." He chuckled, quickly she moved his hands down to her stomach so he could feel the baby kicking again. They stood in his office for a good ten minutes waiting to see if their little one would keep moving, but it seemed to have calmed down.

"If he's going to sleep, you should consider doing the same thing." She taunted him gently.

"... Alright." Kai sighed taking her hand. "Let's go." Reluctantly he turned off the light to his office and closed the door. The two of them curled under their covers, Kai's hands pressed firmly against her distended stomach. The baby hadn't moved again, but if it did, he wanted to feel every single movement he could.

"Cinder?" He asked.

"Yes?" Her voice was tired and lilted.

"Why do you think it's a boy?"

"Because I want him to be like you." She answered, "And I kind of went overboard looking through pregnancy books. I found all of these old wives' tales that tell you if you're having a boy or a girl."

"We have the technology; we could find out very easily." He reminded her gently.

"I supposed we could, but what's the fun in that?" She asked.

He chuckled, "I guess you have a point."

"What ever this baby is… I know we're going to love them to the moon and back."

"And this baby is going to be the most precious little prince or princess the world has ever seen."

Cinder felt herself falling asleep as Kai kissed the back of her neck. When he was certain she was absolutely asleep he smiles into her skin, before trying to escape back to his notes. However, her hand clutched his.

"Don't even think about it." She said gentle yet firm.

He chuckled, "Yes dear." Before settling down beside the two loves of his life.


End file.
